Away From Ordinary
by Mrs. Witter
Summary: If he couldn't have the one he loved, could he move on? A Luke fic.
1. Prologue: Grasp

Improv: illusion ~ cashmere ~ scarf ~ dream ~ revelation

Disclaimer: Don't own a thing. 

Spoilers: Everything up until the Season Two finale except for Sherry being pregnant. That never happened. I don't care what anyone else says. There will be references made to things that already happened in Season Three.  

Author's note: This is my first Luke fic so please be gentle. This fic will continue, probably not as an improv but hey, who knows?

Away From Ordinary Prologue: Grasp  

He knew she'd be beautiful when she walked down the aisle. 

There was a certain grace in her stride that was alluring and mysterious and made men wonder what secrets she held, what knowledge she had, and what kept her so together and in control when other women with her history would have fallen apart. They'd say she was an illusion, an enigma - untouchable, ethereal. 

They'd be wrong. 

Luke knew Lorelai Gilmore; he'd seen her at her worst, at her silliest, at her most neurotic, at her wildest (unless of course you counted getting pregnant at sixteen, her wildest – which he hadn't seen) and at her loneliest…at her most vulnerable.

And he loved her – it was kind of hard not to. 

Even though he could never tell her, even though she would never return the feelings, and even when she was marrying someone else.

He didn't begrudge her any happiness. And he knew, deep down underneath all his pain and bitterness that she was happy now, as she should be…marrying Christopher. 

One day, after they had announced their engagement the three of them – Christopher, Lorelai and Rory came into the diner for breakfast. Luke had wanted Jess to take their order but the punk was nowhere to be seen, as usual. The three of them smiled up identically at him - the happy family, ordering a happy breakfast, in a diner full of happy people. 

It made him sick. 

Christopher merely smiled amused, when Lorelai and Rory ordered coffee in obscene amounts. He let them talk incessantly and excitedly – as if he were used to it, as if he'd seen them do it for years on end, as if he'd been there for everything that had happened in their lives.

Luke hated him for it.

He didn't envy anyone for anything. He figured that what he had earned and received was what he deserved and if you wanted to get all philosophical – he had what was meant to be. 

But sometimes he wanted to yell to whoever was listening up there that he deserved _her_. That he had loved her longer, loved her better…loved her when she needed it the most. He often feared that he'd blurt it out to her: I love you more. Marry me, instead. 

Maybe that wasn't fair. But somehow, he figured that the revelation would not have been appropriate or reciprocated anyway. 

So he went to the wedding. And everyone who knew him – the entire town, greeted him softly and tilted their heads to the side in that sympathetic gesture you would expect to receive if you were attending a funeral of a loved one. 

Funny, inside he _did_ feel like he was dead. 

So there she was…almost floating down the aisle in her white wedding dress and the tiara on her head, curls tumbling past her shoulders, and a smile on her face that was just as beautiful and charming as she was.

Her eyes flitted over the guests, over her family and friends and then stopped on him. He held his breath, met her gaze steadily, not daring to move and he remembered all those times that they'd looked at each other just like this – for just a moment, when the world made sense. And when he thought that she felt everything that he did. He knew that it couldn't just be his dream; that he wasn't holding on to false hope…

And the moment shattered.

She continued walking down the aisle to another man. And he literally felt the last shred of hope that he was so foolishly clinging on to, slip from his grasp. 

A few minutes later, she was Mrs. Christopher Hayden.

He wanted to avoid the reception but it was kind of hard to when _Luke's_ was supplying the coffee and donuts that Lorelai insisted be served. So he went, ate and watched as she danced with her husband and other men…and then he made his way up to the beaming couple.

"Hi Luke," she greeted brightly, placing a hand on his arm. "In all the chaos I forgot to thank you for everything. I really, really appreciate it. Thank you."

"You're welcome Lorelai," he responded automatically. His gaze darted between her and Christopher and managed a smile that he hoped looked sincere. "Congratulations, the both of you. It was a nice ceremony."

"Thank you," Christopher said amiably, oblivious to the loathing Luke felt towards him.

'What kind of an asshole impregnates a woman when she's sixteen and marries her eighteen years later?' Luke wanted to scream. Instead he just smiled, awkwardly. "You're a lucky man, Chris." _Luckiest bastard I know_.

After that, there wasn't much reason for Luke to hang around. He left, unnoticed. 

He was glad that Jess would be hanging around the reception and not the diner, playing Rory's dutiful boyfriend. Luke snorted at the thought of Jess being a dutiful _any_thing and then pondered: hey, at least one of them got the girl.  

_Used Ketchup bottles as tinker-toys when Lorelai almost got married_. _What to do when she finally is hitched?_ He made his way around the counter in the dimly lit diner when the door chimes rang. Startled he looked up to see a petite blond woman, looking around obviously uncomfortable and by the looks of her neat hairstyle, designer clothes cashmere jacket – obviously rich.  "We're closed."

Her eyes widened when she looked at him and her lips curved downward. "That's not what the sign says." 

He remembered that he hadn't flipped the sign over. He almost laughed. Lorelai gets married and he's too preoccupied to run his livelihood. His conscience wasn't kidding when it said that the woman was going to be the death of him, He turned his attention back to the lady. "Sorry about that. I forgot to flip it. The sign, I mean."

"So can I stay or not?" she asked dubiously. 

He sighed. What the heck? This was his life, right? "Yeah, stay. Can I get you coffee?"

"Oh no," she said and pulled her silk scarf from her neck "It stunts growth, you know. Not that staying away from it has done me any good. Do you have tea?"

He gave her a small, half smile. "I have herbal tea."

"Even better." She deposited her purse on the counter and the sat down on the stool, looking around the diner with curiosity…and appreciation. "This is a nice place you have. The town, too. It's very…"

"Small? Weird? Kinda cramped?" he supplied over his shoulder as he put a kettle on the stove. He turned around to catch her distasteful expression. "Poor?"

"I was going to say quaint," she responded slightly derisive. "I believe that you've made a judgment call too quickly, Mr. Uh, Luke…is it?" 

"Just Luke. I'm not in the best of moods."

"That's understandable. Please make that tea to go and I'll be out of your hair," she replied politely, reaching into her purse. "How much do I owe you?"

"I… you don't have to…" he stuttered, never actually having met someone who would leave his diner because he was being a grump. They usually hung around, regardless, wanting to egg him on some more. 

She arched an eyebrow, knowing laughter twinkling in her caramel eyes. "I don't have to pay for the tea? As you know, I can afford it." 

He looked at the woman, a little irritated, a little embarrassed and a little amused. "I meant that you didn't have to leave. I'm sorry. I just had a - "

"A bad day," she finished for him and then smiled pleasantly. "I understand that. In fact, I get it more than you'd know."

He heard the kettle steam and quickly made the woman her tea. When he placed the steaming cup in front of her, she lifted it to her nose exhaled deeply – before smiling broadly, thoroughly satisfied. In a weird way, she reminded him of Lorelai. Then, on a completely different level, she didn't. Angry that his thoughts were leading him back to a depressed place, he gave the woman another half smile. "And you haven't even tasted it."

Tentatively, she took a small sip and then nodded. "Oh yeah, heaven in a cup."

Unexpectedly – to him, at least – he let out a snort. She looked up at him funny and furrowed her brows as if waiting for an explanation. "You just reminded me…vaguely of someone."

"Ah," she replied, that knowing gleam in her eyes again. She took another sip of her tea and sighed. "So you're all dolled up – just like this town. What's the occasion?" 

"A friend of mine" he halted a moment to get used to thinking of her as only a _friend _now, "got married, today." 

"And the whole town goes Mardi gras? Wow, this friend must be pretty special." 

Luke paused for a minute and thought about it. "Yeah, she is special."

"Ah," she replied and he blinked twice when he realized she was grinning…followed shortly by the internal revelation that _he_ was smiling. Fondly. About Lorelai. Like she meant something. Which she did, of course. "She's also the someone, isn't she?"

"What someone?"

"The one I remind you of."

Caught off guard, he looked away and stammered. "Uh…yeah." 

"Oh." The woman nodded and then sipped her tea. 

Luke watched her for a minute, a little unnerved by the company. Somehow, he felt violated. And he didn't understand why. She looked like she came from a well-to-do family; sleek blonde hair, high cheekbones, aristocratic nose, expensive clothes and jewelry – yet, she was kind of down to earth with her easy smile, a quiet sense of humor…and an awfully perceptive gaze. 

_What the hell are you talking about_? he asked himself angrily. He had known the woman for five seconds. _What do you know about her? Just serve her and leave her alone. _He loosened his tie and took a few claming breaths before heading into the storeroom in the pretense of checking supplies. After ten minutes of shifting the jars of pickles and olives around, then putting them back in there former places (because they were great just the way they were, so why change them?), he headed back to the counter to tend to his customer. 

She had pushed the cup of tea away from her, taken out her wallet, her eyes gazing around the diner again as if she was taking everything in and her hands folded neatly in front of her. She looked up at him, smiled again, widely. "Thank you for the tea. How much do I owe you?"

He didn't feel like taking her money. He didn't know why. "It's on the house." 

She looked a little flustered and he smiled inwardly in smug satisfaction. So there was a chink in her nonchalant armor. "I insist that I pay."

"I insist you don't."

"We're at an impasse," she replied with a shrug and slipped off the stool gracefully. "I'm going to be in town for a while. You can't keep serving me for free the whole time." 

As she picked up her wallet and put on her coat, he contemplated on prying a little bit more about why she was here but decided that it would be too rude, considering his earlier remark. Instead, as she turned to leave, he opened his mouth and said the first thing that came to his mind. "I don't know your name." 

She opened the door and turned around. "Sarah." 

"Nice name," he said, without thinking again. _Simple._

She left before he could say anything and he sighed. After a few minutes of staring at the table top and assessing that strange encounter, he heard screaming and laughter from outside. Although, he was sure it was from the wedding festivities he went to check it out. When he stepped outside, he was surprised to see Lorelai and Christopher seated on a motorcycle, still dressed as a bridal couple as they made a round of the town square, a crowd of people following them on foot, throwing rice and confetti. 

She caught sight of him, laughed and waved frantically with one hand as she clutched onto her husband with another. He managed a small, friendly wave back. The motorcycle rounded a corner laughter filling the air, the tin cans tied to the back of the machine dragging across the pavement making a horrible sound. 

He leaned against the door of his diner and read the sign attached right between the seat and the rear wheel: _Just Married_. 

To Be Continued… 

A/N # 2: Okay, so if you're a Java Junkie and you've read this, please don't throw tomatoes at me or anything. I am simply not an L/L fan. However, I am a big Luke fan. I adore him. I want to have his babies.  I see the chemistry and the sexual tension between L/L and will address it in this fic. Just be patient. This isn't really a normal Luke fic. Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 1: Then & Now

Chapter 1: Then & Now 

"Where's Luke?" Taylor Doose asked Caesar as he sat down on a stool near the counter. The usual patrons were sitting in their usual places, lingering over the last morsel of their breakfast. Kirk was sitting further down, ripping up sweetener packets and dumping them into his coffee. Miss Patty and Babette were talking excitedly as Morey forlornly drank his coffee, listening to the inane chatter. 

Jess sighed and leaned against the counter. He really needed to get out of here. He looked at his watch. He had to be at school in ten minutes. It wasn't where he wanted to be but it was better than this. He wondered if this was what it was like to be Holden Caulfield. 

"He's not here," Caesar grunted as he rung up an order.

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked dubiously.

"I mean he's not here."

Taylor frowned and then turned to Jess, looking for further clarification. "Young man, where is your uncle?"

Jess examined his fingernails, bored. "Not here."

"I know that," the older man replied, annoyed. "But if he's not here, where is he? Luke is always here in the morning attending to his customers. What kind of a man would leave his business and wander off?"

"You're here," Kirk pointed out.

"Yes but right now, it's not peak time at Doose's. You see we usually get an influx of people between ten and twelve. The time when the mothers have dropped their children off at school and have done most of their housework - that's our peak time. The numbers vary depending on the day. Like yesterday for instance, it was a Sunday and because of the wedding hoop-la there weren't a lot of customers at Doose's throughout the day. But our peak is mostly until twelve. Then at noon people take a break and head over to Luke's for lunch."

"It's not noon, Taylor," Babette reminded him from her place.

"I am aware of that. So what, Babette?"

"All I'm saying is it's not noon and the diner seems to be crowded."

"Yes, the diner is also crowded at this time."

"But it's not noon."

"I'm aware of that." The vein in Taylor's forehead looked like it was about to burst.

Fed up, Jess scoffed at the older man. "Is there a point to all of this?"

"My point is that Luke should be here, minding his business. He's here everyday at this time." Taylor looked indignant. "He has a responsibility to his customers. Do you know where he is? Is he still asleep? Did he leave a number so we can contact him?" 

Jess was about to lunge over the counter and strangle Taylor when the door opened, the bells chimed and a blonde haired woman walked in, smiling. Everyone stopped what they were doing for a second, stared at the stranger and then started murmuring amongst themselves. Kirk took a sip of his coffee, eyes focused on the newcomer. 

"Hello," the woman said to Jess as she sat down on a stool, placing her purse on the counter. "I'm Sarah."

He was surprised that she had addressed him, so it took him a second to recover before straightening up. Her eyes were kind of…unnerving. She looked him in the eye when she talked to him and the smile never left her face. Very few people in this world fazed him. Sarah was going to be one of them, he knew instantly. "What can I get you?"

She looked up at the chalkboard on the wall above his head and scanned the items quickly. She shook her head and then returned her - that _gaze, towards him. "A chocolate muffin and tea with milk." _

He nodded and wrote the order down on the pad. "Coming up."

"Is, um, Luke here?" she asked, as Jess was about to turn around.

Hmm, she knew Luke. This surprised him because she didn't look like the kind of person who would willingly talk to his uncle - or his uncle would talk to. He wasn't sure if there was a kind of person who would get along with Luke. "No, he's not here. Can I take a message for him or something?" 

"No that's okay," she replied and he could tell she was a little embarrassed. 

Before Jess could say anything else, Patty, Babette and Morey had flagged her on both sides. The redhead smiled widely, extending her plump, manicured hand. "Hello. I'm Patricia. Miss Patty to most. I haven't seen you around here, dear. Are you new in town?" 

Sarah indulged them with another bright smile and started to introduce herself and answer their questions. When Jess came back with her order she was listening politely as Babette rattled on about the town and its inhabitants. He set her muffin and teacup in front of her and she took a moment to give him grin over Babette's chatter. 

He walked out of the diner, interested and feeling a little - it was weird, happy. 

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

Luke dug his hands in his pockets and stared down at the tombstone, pensively. He didn't expect anything to change each time he came to visit his parents' grave (give or take a few flowers or patches of moss). It was comforting that this place, the cemetery, did not change. In a morbid kind of way. 

His eyes roved over the letters carved in the stone; the simple epigraph. 

_William Albert Danes_

_1925-1993_

_May he rest in peace._

"Hey Dad," Luke said as he squatted down beside the tombstone. "It's been awhile. The business is great. Jess is helping, if you can believe it. He's calmed down a bit, I guess. Rory's good for him - you remember, I told you about her. Lorelai's kid. Liz hasn't called in about a month and although he doesn't say much, I'm sure it's worrying him."

A slight breeze rustled the trees, a bird chirped and everything stilled again. 

Luke let his gaze wander over to the tombstone next to his father's - his mother's. As time passed, the picture of his mother's face became less clear, less distinct. He could still remember her scent; vanilla, with a faint hint of pastry from all the baking she did. He was only a teenager when she passed away, Liz just a toddler. 

_Mary Anne Danes_

_1927-1973_

_An angel among us.___

_Rest in peace. _

"Lorelai got married yesterday," he told her, as if she could offer him some kind of comfort or tell him what it meant. But he wasn't stupid or silly to believe in things like that. He told her simply because he knew that it would make him feel better to tell someone. 

She wouldn't answer back so it was a win-win situation.

"She's happy, though," he continued, staring at his hands that were resting on his knees. "Or I hope she is, at least." He didn't want to contemplate on her state of euphoria right now. So he willed himself to think of something else to say. 

It was funny, he couldn't think of anything else.

He stood up, stared at the headstones again for a second and then slowly walked out of the cemetery. 

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 

Sarah hadn't ever been to a town quite like Stars Hollow. Her parents were rooted in a small town but after the money started rolling in, they moved to the luxury and comfort of Beverly Hills – right before she had been born. She'd grown up rich, the proverbial silver spoon and everything. It had been a relaxing life. The easy life.

A life that haunted her – would always haunt her, now.

She shook her head, trying to rid her thoughts of unpleasantness. The town was actually very picturesque and she wasn't going to think about her past. She couldn't afford to. Not when she'd finally felt like she could live without constantly looking over her shoulder for those demons, wondering if her past lurked in the bushes or in the eyes of a stranger who stared at her for too long. 

The beauty of a small town where no one knew her was that she could be whoever she wanted to be and people would accept her. It had only been a little over twelve hours since she arrived in Stars Hollow and she had already had phone numbers and invitations to town festivals. She admitted that the people were quirky and a little nosy but it was a part of their appeal. They were warm and sincere.

They felt more like family than her own. 

Just then, as she stepped out into the shining sun outside the Independence Inn, she spotted a familiar flannel and denim-clad man walking up to the door. He seemed to be busy thinking about something to notice her so she smiled brightly as he passed and called out, "Hello Luke."  

He was startled as he looked up and she saw that it took him a minute to recall her face and name. That amused her immensely. "Sarah, hey."

"I told you I'd be sticking around," she told him as she slipped on her sunglasses. "You seemed to surprised."

"No, I'm not," he answered quickly. "Just surprised to see you here. As in here at the inn. This inn. Not that you wouldn't stay here. It's just that- "

She finally let herself grin. He didn't strike her as the rambling type of man and it pleased her that she could almost make him incoherent. "You expected I'd stay in a five star hotel?"

His lips twisted into what she suspected was his version of a wry smile. "I've offended you again."

"Again?"

"Last night," he clarified. "I didn't mean to imply anything."

"It's okay," she replied, laughing a little. It had been a long time since a man intrigued her and the fact was starting to scare her. 

"The Independence Inn is a great place." He was trying to rectify his earlier comment. She liked the fact that he felt the need to do so. "Lorelai is a great manager."

She racked her brain trying to figure out which one of hundreds of people she had met today was named Lorelai. Surely a name like that would stick out. "I'm not sure I've met her."

"She's not here," he replied, shifting a little. "She's the one that got married yesterday. Probably on her honeymoon right now."

"Oh, right." Sookie St. James must've forgotten to mention the names of the happy couple. "So, everyone was looking for you this morning at the diner. It must be a rare occurrence in these parts to be late for work because everyone was talking about it."

"It's not rare. And I wasn't late," he answered, sounding a little irritated with the talk about him. "People in this town talk. A lot."

"One of the quirks of small towns, I suppose." 

"The flaws," he corrected her dryly. 

"It can't be that bad otherwise I might have to rethink my decision to move."

His brows shot up, surprised. "You're moving here?"

"I considering it," Sarah replied, running a hand through her hair. "Any thing else you want to warn me about before I finalize my decision?"

Luke laughed – or at least it sounded like a laugh, and it was nice. His eyes crinkled and he looked approachable when he laughed. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he answered her, "Just that you should spend a few more days her before setting anything in stone."

"I'll do that." She stepped away from the entrance of the inn and laughed. "I'm keeping you from your work."

"Yeah," he answered, looking a little reluctant to go. "I better go before Sookie burns something or possibly hurts herself. I hope to see you around."

"You will. I loved the tea and I'm tempted to try out what other wonderful culinary delights you have." Flirting never came easy to her. She wondered why it did now. "Bye Luke."

"Bye Sarah," he said and then disappeared into the inn. 


End file.
